Afro-American religions share a number of beliefs and practices. Central beliefs include ancestor veneration and include a
creator deity along with a
pantheon of divine spirits such as the
Orisha,
Loa,
Vodun,
Nkisi, and
Alusi, among others. In addition to the
religious syncretism of these various African traditions, many also incorporate elements of
folk Catholicism including
folk saints and other forms of
folk religion,
Native American religion,
Spiritism,
Spiritualism,
Shamanism (sometimes including the use of
Entheogens), and
European folklore. Various "doctoring" spiritual traditions also exist such as
Obeah and
Hoodoo which focus on spiritual health. African religious traditions in the Americas can vary. They can have non-prominent African roots or can be almost wholly African in nature, such as religions like
Trinidad Orisha. == African diaspora religions in the present ==